Hotel Pattee raises more than $10,000 for Perry crash victims' family

More than $7,000 was raised in three hours through a taco salad fundraiser at the Hotel Pattee in Perry. All of the proceeds went to support the Fuentes-Gavidia family after a car crash near Perry killed 13- and 15-year-olds Walter and Daisy Gavidia and left 17-year-old older sister Edlyn Gavidia in critical condition.

“We exceeded all expectations,” Jenny Eklund, a co-owner of Perry Hospitality, Inc., said of the initial fundraiser Tuesday.

The Hotel Pattee served more than 500 taco salads during lunch. Between the proceeds from the taco salads and other donations from businesses, more than $7,200 was raised for the Fuentes-Gavidia family.

Angie Petersen, a pastry chef at the hotel, approached Eklund with the idea for a fundraiser after hearing about the March 9 crash.

“We were all almost in tears when we heard about the accident,” Petersen said. “I just took a simple idea and if you give it to Jenny, it just rolls. It was nonstop from then on. All of our chefs came together and did everything.”

After deciding to make taco salads, the Perry Fareway store partnered with the Hotel Pattee for the fundraiser. Dariel McNamara, a checker at Fareway, said the employees “all felt at a loss that day.”

“We didn’t know who, it didn’t matter. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare, a community’s worst nightmare,” McNamara said. “When I came in the next morning and my assistant said we were going to help in conjunction with the hotel, I felt like I could do something and we could all do something.”

More:'This is a nightmare': Pastor mourns loss of two central Iowa teens killed in car crash near Perry

The hotel posted about the taco salad fundraiser on social media and posters were put up at Fareway. Percival Scientific then ordered 80 taco salads, which Eklund said helped jumpstart more pre-orders from businesses in town, including Tyson, Raccoon Valley Bank, Progressive Foundry and more.

“We did expect the community to do this,” Eklund said.

“But it just avalanched,” Petersen added.

When Petersen first brought up the idea for a fundraiser, Eklund thought it would be nice if they could raise $1,000 or even $2,000. Now the goal is $10,000 and Eklund anticipated meeting it through a second fundraiser on Thursday.

The Hotel Pattee prepared another 250 taco salads to sell during the weekly Handlebar Happy Hour at La Poste. Petersen also baked three cheesecakes to be auctioned off to raise even more funds for the Fuentes-Gavidia family. Eklund estimated they raised over $4,000 Thursday, bringing the total to around $12,700.

“We can’t fix it, but we can give them some financial help so they can concentrate on what’s truly important,” McNamara said.

That support was evident as a GoFundMe page started last week has raised more than $56,000. Erin Owen, the administrator of the Perry Iowa Community page on Facebook, volunteered to run the GoFundMe page started by the family’s Des Moines-based church, Church of God Pentecostal I.M. Potters House.

Area residents also came together for a vigil on Sunday evening at Perry High School.

“I want to thank everyone for everything, including the vigil tonight,” Owen wrote on Facebook Sunday night. “I am beyond humbled and quite speechless. The community outpouring of love and support for the family has been tremendous.”

The community has continued to support the family through fundraisers like at the Hotel Pattee.

“Everyone just wants to help, which is amazing,” Petersen said. “How do you explain it, but just community love.”

Visitation, funeral set for Walter and Daisy Gavidia

The visitation for Daisy and Walter Gavidia will be held from 4-8 p.m. March 17 at the Perry High School gym, 1200 18th St. The funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. March 18, also at the Perry High School gym.

Francesca Block, a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register, contributed to this story.

Allison Ullmann is the editor and reporter for the Perry Chief and Dallas County News. Reach her at aullmann@theperrychief.com.

This article originally appeared on Perry Chief: Hotel Pattee raises more than $10,000 for Perry crash victims' family